Smartwatches could predict smoking cravings before they start
NCT ID NCT07067151
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 58 times
Summary
This study tests whether off-the-shelf smartwatches can detect changes in heart rate, breathing, and hand movements before, during, and after smoking. Thirty adults who smoke will wear the devices at home and in a lab setting. The goal is to find reliable signals that could one day help people quit by alerting them to cravings in real time.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to wearable-based tools that detect when someone is about to smoke, helping develop real-time smoking cessation support.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early observational study with only 30 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The technology may not work reliably outside the lab.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government research agency
The lead sponsor is the US National Institutes of Health.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
The study population will comprise individuals aged 21 years or older who currently smoke cigarettes. Participants must have completed a high school education or possess a lower level of academic achievement, and they should be classified as low-income earners. To be eligible for participation in the study, individuals will need to successfully pass a breath test that confirms their smoking status. Furthermore, female participants will be required to undergo a urine test to verify that they are not currently pregnant, ensuring the study's safety and ethical standards. This rigorous participant selection process is designed to ensure a focused and relevant study group that aligns with the research objectives.
- Ages
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21 to 120 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
* INCLUSION CRITERIA: We will recruit up to 30 non-treatment seeking participants with low socioeconomic status who smoke. We will strive to have representation across racial and ethnic groups and biological sex. At least half of the participants must earn at or below 200% of the federal poverty guideline for 2024 corresponding to number of people in their household (US Department of Health and Human Services). To be included in the study, participants must: * be 21 years or older in compliance with Tobacco 21 laws * have no college degree or be currently enrolled in college * have smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and 5+ cigarettes per day in the past year to establish daily smoking status * willing to abstain from smoking for \>=12 hours prior to the lab visit verifiable by a CO reading that is below 10 ppm and retrospectively by minimal nicotine in blood sample * willing to abstain from using any nicotine products or devices for \>=12 hours prior to the lab visit * willing to abstain from alcohol use for \>=12 hours prior to the lab session verifiable by breath alcohol concentration (BrAC = 0.000) * willing to adhere to all study procedures including agreeing to a blood draw and bringing \>=1cigarette for use during the study visit * have a smartphone compatible with wearable device requirements for Bluetooth and operating system (iphone iOS 14 and higher, Android 9.0 and higher) and willing to download the study apps onto their phone * speak English * and willing and able to provide informed consent. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Participants will be excluded if they: * are not abstinent before the lab session through biochemical verification after two attempts * have sought treatment for tobacco/nicotine use in the past 2 months (e.g., on pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation, enrolled in smoking cessation support programs or interventions) * have past 3-month pulmonary or cardiovascular event, or those who have been hospitalized or visited the emergency room for seizure, stroke, or new heart problems, * are pregnant or breastfeeding * and are unable or unwilling to provide informed consent. Vulnerable populations will not be enrolled in the study (i.e., adults unable to consent, individuals who are not yet adults, pregnant women, prisoners).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, Kansas, 66103, United States
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